The Heritage of Golden Goa

For the Portuguese, she was Golden Goa, the epicenter of the Portuguese empire in Asia. The Portuguese were great church builders, their desire to spread their faith an important motivation. But today, the modern day Goa is a quaint blend of the old and the new, of Portuguese and Indian elements. It is also a land of great variety; with its many churches and temples, Goa has a deeply religious ambience which contrasts sharply with the highly hedonistic spirit prevalent on her beaches.

People

The people of Goa are very friendly and extremely happy-go-lucky. They are fond of good things in life and are certainly not caught up in the rat race. Siesta is an important part of life in Goa with shoppers downing the shutters from one to four and most Goans retiring for the afternoon. Though the people of Goa are of different faiths and from different cultural backgrounds, they have come together to create the easygoing Goan culture with its emphasis on good living.

Food

Food in Goa is a very serious matter and capitalizes on the range of food products available here. Goa boasts many different cuisines - the Konkan, the Portuguese and the Bahamani Nawabi traditions. The fruits of the sea are used lavishly in Goan food like different types of fish, prawns, mussels, oysters, crabs and many more.

Fairs and Festivals

Festival time in Goa leaves you with your senses reeling in more ways than you can imagine for the Goans celebrate any occasion with great gusto. They actually have a festival that celebrates the very idea of fun and fiesta!

Nightlife

Nightlife in Goa is exciting and there are many ways to liven up the evening. Goans enjoy going out and it is not unusual to find families out for a night of merriment. In certain areas, almost every third house has a bar-cum-restaurant.